The Inconceivable And The Doubtful
by TheLockness
Summary: Avaria is an improbable myth; yet she is just as real as you or I. She loses everything that was ever familiar to her but will she fall or have the strength to find a way out? EdwardxOC, AU, R
1. Chapter 1

The rain came like spikes from the sky; it was relentless to those caught in its wrath. I could hardly see, my face was angled down, the cold rain splashing across my face, running along the cuts and scratches, cleansing the blood on my body. My hair was wet, sticking to neck, and I could no longer distinguish what was sweat or raindrops. I was running on adrenaline and fear, as traveling for thirty hours was straight at this rapid rate was taking its toll on me.

"Avaria!" I heard my father yell through the storm. "Quicker!"

I jumped from a branch to another tree, gliding through the leaves and twigs as I was so accustomed. I kept maneuvering through the forest top, using the scent of my father to follow him, as it was impossible to even see him.

But something was lingering in my mind and since we had left our destroyed village a day ago, I had no done this. I did not want to but I couldn't help the curiosity or settle my anguish. I stopped, placing my palms and feet on a branch, then turned my head to look back. The grey rain shattered down and my vision was weakened. I could not see a thing. But as I was about to turn around, thunder crackled the sky and lightening lit up my surroundings for a brief moment.

I saw them approaching.

_________________________________________________________________________________

My father knocked on the door of the large home then proceeded to take off the hood of his long coat. I was scared to even look at him - he did not look like that man I had known for countless years. He was badly bruised, his face showed a large welt under his right cheek bone, and it glowed in a numerous of colors. He could not even open his left eye. And that was only his face.

The door slowly opened and a man opened the door. He was tall, with light blonde hair, a fair complexion, and quite muscular.

"Carlisle," my father whispered.

This man, Carlisle, stared at my father in shock and confusion. "Nikola," he said. "What on Earth has happened? Come inside please."

My father and I quickly stepped inside from the rain. But I refused to take off my coat or show my face, no matter how trenched it was.

The house was adorned in luxuries. The tile floor was spotless and paintings from famous painters decorated the white walls. Candles provided light that the rain blocked. Standing at the end of the hall, near the entrance of a kitchen, was a woman with caramel-colored hear. She had a round face and was watching us intently, yet she looked kind and good-hearted.

"The Volturi destroyed out village," wheezed out my father. He leaned over, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. I came to his side and helped him up, my heart splitting apart at the sight of my father, my protector, in his weakest condition. I ignored all my pain to help him lean his weight onto me.

Carlisle's face was interested, yet very serious. "Let us go to my office. You both need medical attention."

My father straightened up and very firmly stopped the advance of Carlisle. "I cannot stay. I only ask of a favor from a dear friend. They will continue to track me and find me here. I wish no harm on my daughter, so I ask if she may stay with you. I will leave to throw off their tracking."

I was so shocked that I couldn't move or speak.

"Nikola, friend, you will die out there. You need rest and--" Carlisle started but was interrupted.

"No," my father said. "Can you take care of Avaria?"

"Yes of course but I--"

"Thank you Carlisle. Goodbye Avaria," my father said softly. He kissed the top of my head and with that, he disappeared.

I don't know whether it was the sudden shock of my father abandoning me with a group of people I had never known or heard about or if it was all the blood loss from the struggle at the village. But I fainted.

__________________________________________________________

I woke to sunlight striking my eyes and the smell of a sterile room. I'm not quite sure what was worse. I lifted myself up and groaned in pain from the soreness of my arms and legs. I looked around the room I was and saw that it was lightly furnished as ordinary human bedroom. The bed I was in was large and comfortable and was embellished with a silky red bed sheet. There was a television in the corner, on top of a wooden table. A desk was in the opposite corner with nothing but a lamp and a clock on the top.

The events of last night rolled into my head and caused me to lay back down. My head was cushioned by the soft pillow and I stared at the white ceiling above. There was nothing I could do to bring him back. Our people are very strong-headed, of that I was sure.

I picked myself up and out of bed. I looked at my body, where last night scratches had been present but had now faded away. The bruises had disappeared as well. There was a mirror on the wall and I looked at my reflection. My black hair lay limp on my shoulders and back. My spring green eyes looked worn out and tired. I looked exactly how I felt.

I lightly touched insignia on my face, small interweaving light green lines that cascaded from the top of my eyebrow to below my ear. I decided to make them disappear, as I was going to explore the house and I did not know who to expect. That man seemed nice and caring and if he was a friend of my father's then I would expect no different. But you can never be too sure. Yesterday was a reminder of that.

I opened the door to my room and looked around in the hallway. No one was there. I began to walk down the hallway then down the stairs to the living room, the only place I recognized. Still there was no one. My heart thumped against my chest.

I walked over to the kitchen and saw the same woman there from last night. She was mixing something in a bowl. She had not heard my footsteps, my feet were well accustomed to being silent and unnoticeable.

"Hello," I said, my voice hoarse yet barely audible.

She looked up quickly in my direction, her curls bouncing around her frame. She smiled sweetly, the dimples in her cheeks showing.

"Hello there," she said. "My name is Esme Cullen, I'm Carlisle's wife."

"I'm Ava," I said, approaching her. I stood opposite of the counter, watching her mix some the batter in the bowl. "What are you making?"

"Well I was going to make pancakes for you," she stopped stirring and thought about what she said. "Have you had pancakes before?"

I cracked a smile. "Yes I have."

She blushed from embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I've never met a Dryad before."

I guess Carlisle told her what I was.

I was a Dryad, a tree nymph. No, I wasn't some fairy with wings, a stereotypical representation of my people. We were kind folk and a separate branch then the other Dryads. We had our own village, traveled everywhere, and lived in the forests. The forest was our guardian and our protector and we cherished it everyway we could. It had blessed us with gifts that we were fortunate to have.

"Are you human?" I asked, placing my elbow on the counter and putting my chin on my palm.

"No dear. We are vampires."

My eyes slowly went from the batter to her eyes. I took my elbow off the counter and stepped back.

"Oh my no no!" she said quickly, when she saw the terror in my eyes. "We feast on animals, not people. We are not apart of the Volturi at all. We mean no harm towards you or anyone."

I hesitated but couldn't help but trust her. She looked so trustworthy and motherly. I nodded and sat down at a table. "Where is Carlisle?"

"He's working at the hospital, he'll be home soon," she said and then she poured the batter into a hot skillet. She then checked her watch. "In fact the children should be home soon as well."

"Children?" I asked.

"Yes. Carlisle and I have adopted five other vampires and helped them to choose animals instead of humans. They attend Forks High School," she said.

Five minutes later, I had a plate of pancakes in front of me and I began to eat hungrily. I normally ate anything I find in a forest but I had had human food too. God was it great. As I shoveling food down my mouth, Esme began to talk about her adoptive children. There was Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward. They all looked around my age, but in actuality, their ages differed greatly.

I had finished eating and she had taken my plate away. The sound of a door opening could be heard from the main room and a scent from last night drifted in the air. I leaned over and Carlisle entered the kitchen. He looked at me and smiled.

"Hello Avaria," he said warmly.

"Ava," I said meekly. "You can call me Ava."

"Yes, of course," he said. He kissed Esme and then looked at the dishes in the sink. "Well we haven't cooked anything in awhile. I hope you are feeling better."

I nodded, feeling slightly intimidated by this man.

"Ava," he said and I looked up. "May we talk in my office?"


	2. Chapter 2

I was just finished talking to Carlisle for almost three hours. We talked about everything. I think he knows more about me than I do myself. We talked about my father, about my heritage, and, of course, last night's events. I felt close to Carlisle, I felt like he understood and was one of the most compassionate people I had ever met. He was different, just as my people differed from regular Dryads, Carlisle differed from regular vampires.

Dryads and vampires have been rivals since the beginning of time. What started off as a territorial threat escalated into an all out war. Vampires began to pray on our blood, something considered a delicacy. Dryads fired back by sneaking into vampire covens and destroying them and killing vampires in destructive fires. But we have one weakness - the farther away we are from a forest, the weaker we become. Vampires pranced on this and dryads numbers have diminished. Our village was one that strived for peace. We were the last village of our kind - one that vowed for no violence and brotherhood. But other Dryads thought differently and made our case powerless.

The Volturi decided fifty years ago that all Dryads were considered a threat. Excuses ranged from the killing of their kind to outing themselves to humans. Thus began the mass execution of Dryads. Luckily my father had become friends with Carlisle around the 1900s when our groups had met while traveling. Their friendship grew as they shared the same ideals and values.

Carlisle had asked me if I could go outside and show him a few things that I could do. I said it wasn't much and he promised to show me a couple of things he could do as well, as a bargain. We went outside, where Esme was outside on a bench reading. She looked up at us and smiled.

"Go ahead," Carlisle said, nodding his head to the entire forest. "I'll be right behind you."

I stretched out my arms. "Ready old man?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Esme laughed from the bench.

"Very--" but Carlisle was cut off. I had jumped onto a branch and was already dashing through the tree tops, gliding from tree to tree. The wind whipped across my face and there were times that I had to close my eyes because they were getting so dry. I couldn't see Carlisle and I didn't look back.

When I reached the end of the tree tops, I grabbed a branch and swung around completely. I rested on the branch, crouching and looking for any sign of Carlisle. A couple of seconds later I saw him emerge from the trees. He joined me on the branch, sitting down and letting his feet hang loose.

"Well," he said, chuckling. "You're a lot quicker than I thought."

"Race back?"

"Maybe--"

I was already gone.

________________________________________________________________________

I reached the Cullen house probably quicker than the first race. I didn't emerge at first because I saw Esme reading and I got an idea. I found the tree closest to where she was and approached it silently. I stood there, hidden in the foliage, as the vines began to wrap around my legs and torso. Then, in a bungee like jump, I fell to the floor.

The vines stopped me fall and I was left hanging upside in front of Esme.

"Hey," I said, my black hair grazing the ground.

She was startled at my presence and her book flew out of her hands in fright. A vine whipped out from the trees and grabbed her book before it fell. She looked at me then at the book wrapped in the vine.

I descended and my feet touched the ground. I grabbed the book and handed it to her.

"Sorry," I said, tucking a piece of hair behind me ear.

"Jesus," Carlisle said, walking out from the forest. "

"You're walking?" Esme asked.

"The tree branches smacked me in the face too much," Carlisle said. "I think I'll just stick to running."

"Oh Ava," Esme said in awe. "The sign on your face is beautiful."

I had already felt the hot line on my face but hadn't bothered to get rid of it. It often showed during times of physical labor or when I had been in such contact with the trees. I touched it lightly and smiled my thank you.

"I have an idea," Carlisle said. "Children!" His voice boomed throughout the forest, reverberating off the trunks and the walls of the house.

A small girl with black, spiky hair peeked out from the corner of the house. She giggled and ran over to Carlisle and Esme.

"Hi!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm Alice! It's so nice to meet you!"

I blushed from her excitement. "Hello."

Four other people, who could be hardly called children, walked out from the house. They stood in a line, all their eyes glued to me.

"Everyone this is Ava," Carlisle said, extending his hand out to me. His finger then went one by one to every vampire. "This is Emmett, Rosaline, Jasper, and Edward."

My eyes stayed on Edward. I had seen creatures from all over the world but nothing could come to close to being quite as magnificent as he was. His beauty was something that would seem unattainable and his presence alone made me uncomfortable but somehow, in a good way. Even though his face was sullen and unemotional, I couldn't help but find him completely interesting.

"Ava, you're amazing," Alice said, smiling from ear to ear. She came over to me. "You were so fast through the trees."

"Pretty impressive," Emmett commented.

"Edward," Carlisle said, turning his attention to his adoptive son. "You're the fastest one out of all of us. I was wondering if you could race Ava, to the end of the forest and back?"

At first Edward didn't respond and I began to wonder if he even heard him. He was just staring at me and it looked to me like it was disgust. I was beginning to feel uneasy about this one.

"Of course," he said in a dull tone.

Well I didn't mean to bore you.

"Ready?" Alice said, standing before Edward and I, pretending to be the announcer of the race. "Set…."

I balled my hands together into fists to stop them from sweating. My head felt light and it seemed as if my heart had already started the race.

"GO!"

I leaped into the air, my hands grabbing onto a branch, and I swung to the other tree. Right when my feet touched the incoming branch, I was off through the tree tops, pushing myself to go faster and faster. I didn't know whether it was because I wanted to impress Edward or just beat him and make him feel bad. Either way - I wanted to win.

When I reached the end of the forest, I spun around so quickly that the trees bended back from the changing force. Then it was back to sprinting from tree top to tree top. My body felt light and I felt as if I was no longer controlling it.

I jumped down from the last tree and my feet landed with a thud on the ground. Alice clapped excitedly for me and a second later Edward appeared. He saw me and his face tightened. He shook his head angrily and muttered something under his breath.

"Good job!" Alice said, putting her arm around my shoulders. Her hand and arm were ice cold.

"Come on everyone, let's go inside," Esme said and everyone began to walk inside.

Once Edward was inside, he went up the stairs and into a room. Hmph. Sore loser.

"Are you hungry Ava?" Rosalie asked.

"Well yes a little."

"I want to make the food!" Alice shouted then ran to the kitchen.

"No!" Rosalie yelled and ran after her. "I haven't made someone food in years!"

Esme rolled her eyes and went to join the girls in the kitchen. When I realized I was left with just an awkward looking Jasper, who kept looking back and forth but never at me and his face have the same expressions as wanting to throw up, I decided to join them in the kitchen.

Rosalie was rummaging through the cabinets while Alice was mixing lettuce and tomatoes into a bowl. Esme joined me at the table, her hands folded together and a smile on her face.

"Sorry about Edward," she said in a low tone. "He doesn't like to lose."

"_Ever_," Rosalie said, overhearing Esme. "I beat him in a game of Scrabble and he wouldn't talk to me for a week." She rolled her eyes at the memory.

Alice laughed. "Oh I remember that."

When Alice and Rosalie finished making my salad we all sat down at the table and talked. They told me about their school and that I should come too. They asked about Dryad heritage and how we did things. They couldn't believe it when I told them I was sixty eight years old. For God's sake I look like I just turned seventeen.

We were laughing hysterically about something Alice had said when Emmett and Edward walked into the kitchen. Edward still had an angered face on and he only looked at me briefly.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked, sitting next to Rosalie and putting an arm around her.

"I love this girl," Alice said, looking at me and smiling. She was probably the happiest person I've ever met.

The sun began to set and the light in the house darkened. Carlisle entered the room and looked at his watch.

"It's time to hunt everyone," Carlisle said, looking out the window and into the forest.

"Finally," Edward said and he walked out from the room.

"Ava, we'll be back in an hour or so," Esme said, getting up from the table. "Feel free to walk around."

"Bye Ava!" Rosalie and Alice said at the same time and the Cullens left, leaving me deserted in the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

Carlisle had talked to me about school the following day, on Sunday. He asked if I would like to go to high school. The Cullen children found it as a way to do something and, even though they've been doing it for awhile, learned a few things ever now and then. Dryads, for the first fifty years, are home schooled, so that everyone in the village could be literate and well educated. I suppose it couldn't hurt although I had never been to actual school before. While traveling I had seen some schools and the people that walked around there and found it very interesting.

It was Monday morning and I was in my room changing. Alice and Rosalie had given me some clothes and it was surely more than I was expecting. All the drawers in my closest were full. I slipped on my shoes - shoes that I had made myself in the village then looked at myself in the mirror. I really looked like an ordinary human being. Huh.

I went downstairs were Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie were seated in the living room.

"Hey Ava," Rosalie said. She was snuggled up against Emmett on the couch.

I smiled and found an armchair to sit in. I guessed we were waiting for Alice and Jasper to get ready.

"Oh here," Emmett said, and he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is your list of classes. Carlisle arranged it so that you have at least one of us in your classes at all times."

"Oh okay," I said, taking it and looking down at all the classes. English, Organic Chemistry, Calculus, Government, Art, and Environmental Science. Well. He certainly knew me well enough to pick classes that at least I'd be interested in.

"Ready!" Alice said from the top of the stairwell. Jasper was in tow, following her down as she descended down the stairs.

"Alright let's go," Emmett said and we all made our way to the garage.

"Ava," Alice said and she joined my side. "You can ride with Edward. You don't mind do you Edward?" Her face turned sharp as she looked him.

"Nope," he said, twirling his keys in his hand. He unlocked his silver car and got inside. I hadn't been in a car for a long time. Really long time. This was when cars looked nothing like they do now

The others piled into Emmett's jeep and I got inside of Edward's car. I looked around and my mind couldn't comprehend that I was in a _car. _The interior was all black and leather, the buttons shined with metallic grooves and they were in abundance. I leaned in and looked at a large circular button. Edward didn't start the car but just looked at me.

I scrutinized the numbers and marks on it and then slowly brought my index finger up. I pressed it and all of a sudden cold air from a vent blew heavily into my eye. I yelped and brought my hands to cover my eyes.

Edward actually laughed. I had to peel my hands away and look at him because I couldn't believe it. He looked at me, then the air vent, then started to laugh again. It was beautiful and I was so embarrassed yet I felt privileged to even hear him laugh.

He quickly quieted himself down and then started the car. He put one hand on the wheel and another on a long knob that was in between our seats. Then he turned over and looked at me.

"Put your seat belt on," he said.

Now I knew what _that _was. I reached over my shoulder and pulled the long strap over me. Right as I clicked it in, the car lurched forward and we were racing on a dirt path through the forest. I gripped onto the side of the car and the arm rest.

"I know that you can't die, but someone else in the car, mainly me, are very well capable of dying in a car accident," I said uneasily.

He smiled but didn't respond. There was an opening at the end of the forest and when he reached he the car turned a sharp left and we skidded onto the main road. When I looked over at all the dials in front of Edward, the meter displayed a speed of 80 miles per hour. The speed limit was 40. I have a feeling he didn't care for the driving rules.

The whole ride I was poking at random buttons and opening drawers or compartments. I would explore around the car and every now and then Edward would tell me what it was actually for. Not before I guessed like an idiot though. Of course.

When we pulled into the parking lot, people were already turning their heads to look inside the car. People in conversations, walking to the building, and standing by their cars all stopped to look. I got out of the car and kept my eyes glued to the gravel of the parking lot. Edward went to the back and opened the trunk. He grabbed a light green book bag and threw it in my direction. I caught it in surprise and looked inside. There was a binder, a notebook, and pens and pencils inside.

Edward pulled out his own bag and then slammed the trunk down. A second later Emmett's truck rolled in the parking lot and the rest emerged behind the car doors.

Rosalie walked with me to my first class, which was Calculus. On the way there, every student looked like drones, incapable of speech and though process. They just stared, eyes opened and wide, as Rosalie and I walked down the hallway and into the room. Rosalie ignored it, as if it was second nature, but I couldn't help but look at each individual face.

We sat in the back and the entire class was me being completely lost the entire time. With the anxiety from my arrival and the awkward and uncomfortable looks plastered on people's face, it was hard for me to concentrate.

The bell finally rang and I dashed out of the classroom, sliding in between people. I felt suffocated in that room. I didn't know where my next class was and I didn't bother to ask Rosalie, who I'm sure was bewildered by my actions. I was walking down the hallway rapidly, trying to find a way out.

As a turned a sharp corner, the books in my hands went flying as I collided with someone. I fell on my butt and my hands felt the cold tile on the floor. I looked up and saw Edward down the hallway, looking at me intently. He was striding over quickly.

"I'm so sorry," said an Asian kid with shaggy, black hair. He got on his knees and began to grab the books that I had dropped on the floor.

"It's okay," I said softly, my focus changing from Edward to this kid.

The boy's hand stopped reaching for my books and he looked up at me and smiled. "I'm Eric Yorkie. I'm in newspaper, class president, chess club president--"

Another body joined us near the floor.

It was Edward. He grabbed the remaining book on the floor and yanked the other out of Eric's hands. Eric's mouth hung open as Edward grabbed my forearm and lifted me up with ease. With my books cradled in his left arm and his right hand gripped onto my wrist he took me down the hallway quicker than I had been walking before.

We walked into another classroom. There were large tables seated for two and Edward dragged me to the one in back. He put my books on the table and turned his attention to the blackboard in the front of the classroom. I took in a deep breath and pulled out my list of classes to see that I was in Organic Chemistry.

He didn't talk to me for the rest of the class.

_________________________________________________________________

I was standing by my assigned locker, the bell for lunch had rung and kids were dispersed all around the hallways, going in and out to the cafeteria. I put in my textbooks and the binder that had paper filled with scribbles and notes from various classes, all unorganized and disheveled. Just as I was about to shut my locker, a boy slide into my per phial vision.

"Hey," Eric said, leaning against the locker next to mine.

"Hello," I said, holding my lock in my hand and pretending to shuffle into my locker to look busy.

"I'm sorry about hitting you earlier. Totally didn't even see you," he said, smiling over enthusiastically.

"It's fine."

"I didn't catch your name."

I paused and stopped shuffling around. "Ava," I said.

He nodded and said, "Cool name. Well, I mean it's, you know, unique and stuff. Never heard it before. I mean you look the part you know? Not weird, I don't mean that--"

"Where's the cafeteria?" I asked, interrupting his useless rambling.

"I'll walk you there," he said and I complied. I closed my locker shut and we made our way to the cafeteria.

"So," he said as he drummed his fingers on the camera hanging loosely around his neck. "Where'd you move here from? It's not everyday we get new residents here in lovely Forks."

I hesitated, trying to come up with a plausible answer.

"Clarkston," I said. "Clarkston, Washington."

"Sweet, a Washington girl," Eric said. "Hey let me introduce you to some people I know you'll like."

Much to my dismay, Eric decided to take a detour and we took a left, walking across the grass to a group of people seated outside by the lunch tables. Trays were all of the table with an assortment of uneaten food. The shadows covered the sun, providing no sunlight and making the whole scene looking gloomy and unappealing.

"Hey everyone," Eric said. "I brought a guest."

With this announcement, every head looked up. The expression most common? Surprise.

"H-Hi!" said one bubbly girl with dark curly hair hugging her shoulders. "I'm Jessica."

Everyone took a turn in introducing themselves. I merely smiled and waved when they were finished.

"I'm Ava," I said, then I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket. A wind chill was floating around and an awkward silence had come along with it.

"Anyway," I started again. "I'm going to get some lunch. Nice meeting you guys."

They all said their goodbyes and as I walking towards the cafeteria, Edward's face could be seen through the window, watching me.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the week was exactly like the first day of school. Edward's attention always somewhere else, Eric and Jessica frantically waving at me or finding every opportunity to have a conversation, and my concentration in a class at minimum.

It was Friday afternoon, school for the week was finally over, and I was up in a tree top, my legs extended on the long, stable branch and using the trunk for support for my back. The wind rustled the leaves and made my hair toss and turn. I looked above the trees and saw a mountain range in the distance. It made me feel calmer but I was still not at rest.

I kept thinking about my dad and about my village. For the past couple of days, it had been the only thing on my mind. I worried about my dad greatly and the thought of not knowing if he was alive or dead haunted my dreams at night.

The sound of a branching creaking made me look over my shoulder. It was Edward.

He sat on nearby branch and looked where I had been gazing at previously before. He didn't speak and I was agitated that he would come up here and disturb me. It's not like he had been the greatest of company this week.

"Rosalie wants to make you dinner," Edward said, not looking at me.

I took out an apple that I had stuffed in my jacket and showed it to him. This was all the food I needed. After another five minutes of pure silence I didn't to ask him a question.

"What's La Push?" I asked.

"It's the beach by the Indian reservation," Edward replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was invited to go."

That caught his attention. "By who?"

"Eric," I stated.

Edward grumbled something inaudible. His face grew tight and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Would you like to come with me?" I asked.

"Wait," he said, startled. "You're going?"

"Yes," I said.

"Why?" He asked as if I had just said I was going to parachute out of an airplane. As if my agreeing to go was the stupidest response in the history of mankind.

"The people at school seem nice," I said flatly.

He grunted and started to move down the tree. "Well have fun." Trust me, it didn't sound like he meant it.

________________________________________________________________________

The next day I was riding in a van with a group of kids from my school as we made our way to La Push. According to Eric, it would be a lengthy ride; he hadn't stopped talking for the past 20 minutes. I felt like I knew more about La Push then I needed to know.

When we got out of the van, it was even colder than I had expected. The sea breeze only magnified the chill and the spray from the ocean stung my arms. A few boys jumped into rubber suits and grabbed their surfboards from the top of the van.

The girls made their way to the beach and I followed. They sat down on the silky sand and I found a place next to Jessica. That pleased her enough.

"So," she said nudging me. "I think Eric likes you."

"Oh really?" I said in a dull tone but she didn't pick up on it.

"Totally," she said, looking at the boys attempting to surf in the harsh waves. "Anyway, I'm so glad you don't act like the rest of the Cullens."

"What?" I questioned.

"Well, no offense, but they don't really talk to us. You're so nice!"

I didn't know whether to be offended or not. I mean, I suppose it was true but the Cullens were the closest people to me.

"Thanks," I finally muttered.

Angela came over and sat down in front of Jessica and I. "Hey Jess," she said. "Doesn't Mike look super cute today?"

I wanted to smack myself in the forehead. Was boys all these girls talked about?

Jess giggled and saw Mike standing at the edge of the beach. "Shut up Angela," she said, her eyes still glued to his body.

I digged my fingers into the sand and continued to watch the boys surf. Angela and Jessica continued to have a conversation that was not only useless but pointless so I didn't feel the need to join in. They were nice girls, don't get me wrong, but I had already been through that stage and I didn't feel the need to go back.

A couple of hours passed and everyone decided it was time to head back. Once again, we piled into the van and set off for Forks. Eric found a way to sit next to me and Mike and Jessica sat across from us.

"So do you like La Push?" Mike asked. Jessica looked up at him as if he was nothing short of a God.

"Well it's freezing cold, that's for sure," I replied.

"Awesome waves today," Eric commented and Mike nodded in agreement.

"So the dance is coming up," Jessica noted casually although I could see that she was utterly nervous.

"Dance?" I questioned.

"It's the school's spring formal dance," Jessica said, clasping her hands together in awe. "Everyone goes with a date. It's so much fun."

If it was as fun as La Push, I didn't even want to get near a five mile radius of it.

"Boys are supposed to ask the girls," Angela said and I saw her eyes roam on Eric, who was staring uncomfortably out the window. Uh-oh.

"Oh I can't wait," Angela said excitedly. "Spring formal is what I wait for all year."

I could feel my mind rotting with every sentence I heard come out of Angela's mouth.

______________________________________________________________________________

I told them to drop me off at the convenience store and then I would have someone pick me up. When they all looked at each other with confused faces, I said I need to pick a few things up and it seemed like all right excuse to them. They dropped me off in front of the store and then the van slowly trudged out of the parking lot.

A silver car backed up out of a parking space and then approached me. I opened the passenger door and climbed in. Edward did not look happy. But, whenever did he?

"How was it?" he asked and I detected no concern in his voice. His grip on the steering wheel was tight.

"It was terrible," I said honestly.

"I thought you should figure out how boring those people are for yourself," he responded.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

I was furious at him. I had had a terrible day and Edward only made it worse. He was really good at doing that. A walking ball of joy.

When he stopped at a red light, he turned his head to look at me.

"What's a matter with you?"

"Don't worry about it," I said.

"Tell me."

"What I have to say is obviously not interesting enough for you, so I'll just keep it to myself."

"Wait, _what_?"

"Why do you think I'm inferior to you?" I asked sharply, turning my head to finally look at him.

The car behind us beeped when the light turned green and Edward did not move. But he was not even close to start the car again.

"Why do you think I think that?" he countered.

"How could I not?" I almost yelled. "Everyone in the house doesn't mind my presence, or at least acts like they don't, but you," I pointed my index finger at him, "_you_ act like I'm a nuisance."

The cars behind us beeped again and louder than before. Edward finally snapped out of and it turned his attention back to the road. The car lurched forward, accelerating quickly down the street and swerving in and out of traffic. I had to hold on to the handle of the car in order to not be thrown around violently.

He missed the turn to enter into the woods to the house. I looked at it through the passenger window, the small space quickly vanishing out of my view. We had to be going at least 90 miles per hour.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice a mixture of fear and anger.

He didn't respond. One of the things he's really good at.

He finally skidded to a stop and I saw that we were on the side of the road. He got out of the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. I got out and watched him walk from around the car and enter the forest. I was so confused that the only thing to do was to slam the passenger door shut and follow him.

It was the one of the rare times I was actually _walking _in a forest. I followed behind him, step after step, for what seemed like hours. He didn't speak and neither did I. I had a feeling that if I asked him a question, I wouldn't get an answer, so I decided to save my voice.

We finally reached an opening and I looked out in amazement. It was absolutely breath-taking. Lush, light green grass, a small, crystal clear lake embellished with metallic fish of all colors, wildflowers blooming and adding more light and beauty to the meadow. I couldn't even comprehend that this place existed. In all my years of traveling, I had never been to a place that could even come close to this.

I began to walk around, touching the grass, dipping my fingers into the lake. It was mystifying and it seemed like something only one could imagine.

I gripped a nearby tree branch and swung myself up, my feet making no sound as they landed. I laid down on the branch, staring at the meadow and feeling completely calm and serene. Edward came over and sat on the ground, his back resting on the trunk, following the same action as I.


	5. Chapter 5

I was in my room playing Yahtzee, a game I had never before played, with Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett. Jasper was going to play with us, but the scent in my room had caused him to immediately walk back out. Alice had told me he was struggling with the diet he was on and not to take it personally. Trust me, I didn't. I would prefer it if he didn't want to suck up all the blood I had in my body.

Emmett rolled the dice for the third time and was stuck with two three's, a one, and two fours.

"Shit!" Emmett said and he slammed his fists on my bedroom floor. The whole house shook and I wasn't sure if it was from his voice or the impact of his fists.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and his behavior and grabbed the dice for herself. "I swear, men and losing," she muttered.

Alice giggled and I grinned.

"Where's Edward?" Alice asked, his voice so light and cheery that it made the grin on my face stay there, even if it had no purpose.

"I think he's hunting," Emmett said, staring intently at the score sheet, calculating numbers in his head.

"It's your turn Ava," Rosalie said, handing me the cup and the dice.

I put the dice in the cup, swiveled it around, then poured it on the carpet floor. Five one's rolled out.

"Hey!" Emmett shouted.

"Is that for real?" Alice asked. "Did you use your powers for that?"

"I don't have magical Yahtzee powers Alice," I said.

"No no," Rosalie said, on the verge of laughing. "I think I read it somewhere that Dryads have secret dice rolling powers."

We all started to laugh hysterically and I held my sides as I fell to the floor. We laughed for what seemed like forever because as soon as the laughter died down, someone would say something to start it back up again.

"Oh man," Emmett said. "All this laughing has made me hungry."

I eyed him warily. He smiled mischievously.

"You guys down to kill some deer?" he asked and I made a "blech!" noise.

"Well since you put it so nicely," Rosalie said, "yes let's."

"We'll be back soon Ava," Alice said. "Pick out another game while we're gone."

They exited my room and I sat on the floor, my bottom lip jutted out and my arms across my chest. I wanted to keep playing. I just learned how and I was getting pretty darn good at it, if I say so myself.

"Did you lose?" I heard a voice ask and I turned my head to see Edward's head in the doorway.

"No," I grumbled. "Everybody left because they're hungry."

He smiled, made his way into my room, and sat down across from me.

"Do you want to play?" I asked, smiling widely when I was finished.

"Really?"

"Please?" I questioned sweetly, clasping my hands together and begging.

He sighed but a smile was still on his lips. "Fine. But on one condition."

"Go for it."

"We play at my spot."

"Was that supposed to be a bad condition?"

He gave me a blank look.

"Alright, alright," I said. Not like I needed convincing. "Let's go."

Edward got the box for the game and together we walked outside to where his car was. But I had a better idea.

"Let's not drive," I said and he looked at my curiously. "Let's race."

"Fine but you have to carry the game," he stated.

"I'm not the one running. I use my hands."

"God dammit. Okay. Ready, set--"

He had decided that he could have a head start and before the word "Go" even escaped from his lips he was already dashing through the forest. He had started so quickly that debris flew up into the air, at the same instant I had decided to take a breath. I gagged and coughed, trying to filter out the dirt that was just floating around in my lungs.

When I finally found a way to breathe again, I leaped up to the nearest tree and went as fast as I could, cursing Edward for getting such a great head start. He got an even longer one because while he was sprinting to the meadow I was still back at the house suffocating on dirt.

When I reached the meadow, he was lounging by a tree, hands behind his head and smile on his face. I trudged over to him, my hands curled into balls, and an angry expression on my face.

"Seriously?" I asked him.

"Seriously."

"You almost seriously killed me."

He grinned up at me and it was then that I had noticed the game box was missing.

"Where's the game?" I asked.

"What game?"

"Oh my God," I muttered, rubbing the crest of my nose. "I can't believe you're going to do this to me."

"Do what?" he asked slyly, pretending as if he was confused and innocent.

I looked around, trying to find the box, but it was no where within ground level. Of course he would hide it somewhere within the trees, somewhere high and dangerous. Of course he would.

I looked up and saw the box resting on one of the higher branches. I sighed and brushed my hair out of my face. Then I jumped up, pulled myself up on a branch, and continued the process till I was just in air's reach of the box. Just as I was about to grab it, another hand shot forward and grabbed it first.

Edward held onto the box with one hand and then jumped down quickly. I maneuvered around and followed him. Except he didn't stop when he reached the ground. He started to run this time and I had almost lost him. I followed his blurred body until I got so close that I'm sure I could have touched him if I just extended my arm. But I thought of a better plan.

The vines from a tree drooped down in the split second that he was near then, swiveled around his legs and flung him upside down. The box fell out of his hands in surprise and he was swung back and forth. When he finally stopped moving, he was high enough so that when I was standing we were face to face.

I let him hang there while I grabbed the parts of the game that had come out of the box when it flew from Edward's hands. When I finally got everything I walked back over to him, smiling.

"I was just having fun," he said.

"Now you can have fun carrying the box back," I said, shoving the box onto his chest.

"Aren't you going to let me down?" he asked when I had started to walk away.

"You're a big, scary, burly vampire," I told him. "You can find a way down."

He sighed and lifted himself up, grabbing onto the vine that was holding his leg. He yanked at it hard and it snapped, causing him to tumble to the ground. I continued walking, thinking that he would follow suit and walk with me.

Instead I was lifted off my feet in such a quick way that I yelped in surprise. When I looked up, the forest was going by so quickly and the cold wind stung my eyes. I wrapped my hands around Edward's neck and he propelled me through the forest till we finally returned back to the meadow.

He let me go and wiped his hands in satisfaction.

"I'm glad that was so fun for you," I said dryly.

"Yes, it was so much fun having you dig your nails into my neck the entire time," he said back.

I glared at him. "That's what happens when I'm scared, _sorry."_

"You claw people to death?"

"Very funny." I yawned and stretched out my arms. "I need a rematch."

"Oh really?" he asked, his head tipping to the side.

"How about from here, past our house, to the end of the forest?" I questioned. "That'll show who has stamina."

"Unlike you, I don't get tired."

"I don't get tired," I said, rolling my eyes. "I just like to take a lot of naps."

He chuckled lightly. "I'll play fair this time." I gave him a face. "I promise."

"Alright, on the count of three," I said, jumping on to a branch and getting ready to take off. "1.…2.…3!"

And we were off, yet again, sprinting through the forest. It felt like the first time I had raced Edward; me trying desperately to win, my heart accelerating in my chest, the need to go faster and faster. I felt my legs starting to weaken and it wasn't from the barreling through the trees; it was because all the thoughts of Edward running around in my head. I felt as if I was having an anxiety attack. I was starting to faze in and out, which is really terrible if you're going the speed I was.

It was one split second that I wasn't paying quite enough attention and my mind was in another world. I was careless and my foot slipped into a knick in one of the branches. I was propelled forward so fast that I had no sense of control or direction. I tried so hard to grab one of the limbs of the trees but nothing could stay in my grasp.

They say when you experience the most violent of crashes or accidents that time around you slows down. That you see everything around you in slow motion and you capture beauty one more time, in it's most delicate and innocent form.

It was slow for me. When my body was in the air, the trees looked captivating. I had time to think about my father. I had time to think about my people. But most importantly, I had time to think about Edward. I saw his face before my body plunged into the cold waters at the edge of the forest, just below the treacherous cliffs.

I was submerged so quickly that I didn't know how to react. My mind and body stopped functioning all together and everything I had ever learned about what to do in an emergency was whisked out of my mind. The cold water wrapped and constricted every inch of skin on me.

I was being thrown around by the current of the waves, splashed against the hard rock wall of the cliff, and when I was being thrown up and I thought I had my chance to breathe, I would be thrown back down again relentlessly. My lungs filled up with water and a choking sensation was felt on my throat.

And then, when I thought death had clearly become the victor, I shot to the surface, out of the water, beyond the cliffs, and then finally to the warm, dry ground. I coughed, watering shooting out from my mouth and my eyes stung from the salt. Edward held me tight against him as I laid on floor, gasping for clean air and shivering from my ice bath.

I held onto him, not wanting to let him go as he was my only source of protection and feeling as if he was the only one who could ever save me.


End file.
